I'm Pessimistic In An Optimistic Way

Well now, Melissa's iridized Birdhouse is a sight to see and when it catches the light just right it honestly glows and shimmers which is why I've posted two pictures of it.   Translucent iridized glass is always stunning when lit from the front but this birdhouse manages to capture light and bounce it around inside of the 3D structure in a wonderfully colorful way! 

 

 

 

 

This week we watched  Annette finish her Tranquil Nature Scene just as I expected she would.  I know this came out of nowhere but I just couldn't  remember to take a picture of it while it was under construction.   The end result is beautiful though and I'm really proud of her work-- you can easily see why!

 

 

 

Cindy's Candy Canes In A Bow is actually a large suncatcher and since it's oval she had to use the 'tap tap' method to put lead around the edges of this stunning Christmas decoration.  She did it beautifully though and the end result is perfection.

 

 

 

Annette has got a thing for the Grinch Who Stole Christmas and therefore it's no surprise that  she wanted to make a Grinch Hand.   Before class was finished she manged to walk out the door with this finished piece as well as her Nature Scene window.

 

 

 

Angie completed her third Cross/Heart Panel with plenty of time to spare.   That's three gifts that she's now completed for the holiday season leaving her with time to spare.

 

 

 

With the time Angie spared in this one class she also managed to make this Grinch Hand before calling it a day.  These are not only quick and easy-- they're charming and cute as well!

 

  

 

 

Ann finished another Modern Cross which means that she's producing these at a one to one ratio as compared to her class time.  She stretches each Cross across two classes but then gets a huge portion of the work done on her next cross which she inevitably completes the following week. Perfection!

 

 

Martha says that 'there's no place like home' or at least that's what her window suggests.   Her Ruby Slippers are almost completely assembled and all that's left to do is cut out her background glass.  After that she can solder this gorgeous piece.  

 

 

 

Susan R has begun a Reindeer Lawn Ornament and it has already taken form.   Students tend to complain about their cutting when they look at their progress at the end of class and can't easily see what the finished result is supposed to look like.  Alas, that's generally the case and no cause for alarm.  Susan's Reindeer, however,  is the exception because there's no doubt what this is.

 

  

 

Susan D's Trio of Sunflowers Window is quite the head turner.   I learned long ago that there is a 'pieces to size' ratio which determines how impressive a window is.  If you only have a few large pieces in a large window the 'ratio' is off and it looks amateurish.  In this particular case Susan's pieces are small and plentiful enough to make this a darned impressive window.

  

 

Susan D is also hard at work on another Miniature Grinch Hand, a Silverware Dragonfly and two small Boxes.   The woman never stops!

 

  

 

 

Linda L is making a slew of Santa Faces.  Or is it a gaggle of Santa faces?   Let's just say that she has six Santa's all cut out and in the process of being ground.  She's moving quickly on these small ornaments and I know that they'll easily be completed in time for Christmas.

  

 

 

Shelley's Mermaid is already all cut and ground leaving her with just some foiling and soldering left to go.   Shelley may have missed out on classes over the past couple of months but her speed and accuracy are still formidable.

 

  

 

 

Sheri's working steadily on her Oval Humming Bird Window.   She's looking for an interesting cabochon to incorporate into this but so far no luck.  But who knows what will happen by the time she comes back to class...

  

 

 

Shawn has her Hera Flag Window almost ready for solder and I can see her easily beginning that when she next returns to class.  I have to say that her use of purple baroque glass  (which is no longer being made) is a perfect compliment to this colorful window.

 

 

 

Let is working on her own Oval Humming Bird Window and had a piece of green glass that broke twice.  Rather than buying more glass she adjusted the background to make up the difference where the break occurred and there's no way you can tell that this wasn't what the original pattern called for.    I like the way Let is thinking and working.

 

  

 

 

Cindy's Cajun Bowl Logo Window is all cut out and it's even ground.  She's currently in the process of wrapping all of her pieces but that won't take Cindy long which means that we will soon see what she has planned for the borders of this unique black and white window.

 

  

 

 

MiMi's got her first Geometric Window almost completely cut and ground.  Well, there are a few small cuts to make to incorporate some round accent pieces which she'll do when she returns but they won't take long at all.  Then there are a few fill in pieces around the edges but she won't cut them until this is all tacked together to make both cutting and fitting them into place easier and more precise.

 

  

Roxane got all of her pieces wrapped for the third panel in her large Nativity Scene.   Once she tacks this together she'll fill in the background glass and start joining all three  panels together to form one large scene.

  

 

 

Mary Grace has her second Peacock Window completely soldered which means that she'll get a channel attached to this and then wash and color it so she can take it home and hang it.  Expect to see this amongst our completed windows in our next post.

  

 

 

As I said earlier, Ann finishes one Cross during class and then begins the next.   This one only needs two pieces of glass to be ground and then she'll be able to solder this which we know she can accomplish in the blink of an eye.

 

  

And there you have it.  Everyone have a great Thanksgiving, we'll return in two weeks because there will be no classes during the Thanksgiving week.

Gooble Gooble!

Paul

Bayou Salé GlassWorks

The Twins Separated At Birth

Linda F's Magnolia Window is a popular subject for stained glass windows down here in our shop in Louisiana but it is the first time we've seen this particular pattern made.  Judging from the looks of Linda's finished Magnolia it won't be the last time someone makes it because this is a beautiful piece.

  

 

Annette completed this cute little Christmas Gnome from a pattern that she drew up herself.   She always doubts her abilities but when you can draw your own patterns and end up with something that can actually be cut out of glass (that's the tricky part) you are doing beyond well!

 

 

 

Betty completed her Nativity Scene Window which was modified from a suncatcher pattern easily enough.   Stunning work and an inspirational theme make this something to be treasured.

 

 

 

Susan R's Three Dimensional Pansy was, as expected, completed this week.  When I saw that she only had a few pieces left to wrap last week I just knew that this would solder up quickly for her.  As I said a week or so ago, she was surprised when the pattern revealed itself to be a three dimensional piece made up of five different layers.  A few of those could have been combined but the deep purple would never have been able to be cut into bigger petals that surround it unless you used a glass saw.  Even then, the larger petals would have such thin sections that they would most likely break when soldering it.  All in all, this finished flower pleases on many different levels!

 

 

 

Susan D finished her Woodland Animals and mounted them onto some scrap wood that her equally talented son had left over in his woodworking shop.  The end result is a marriage made in heaven because glass and wood, although an unlikely combination, work beautifully together.

 

 

 

 

Let has her latest Geometric Window all completed and her soldering has really taken another leap forward towards perfectionism.   Slow and steady always wins the race.

  

 

 

Ann started and completed a new Modern Cross suncatcher in just one class.   She's used a glass that we don't recognize but we hope to identify so we can get some more of it in as soon as possible because everyone loves this cross and the glass it's been made from.

 

  

 

 

Susan D is also hard at work making this detailed Sunflower Window.  She came in with it all cut out is is now grinding away.  You can see that the top flower is already fitting together and that means that Susan's grinding is going quickly. Look to see more of this taking shape when you see it again next week.

 

 

 

Shelley is back in action and she's dipping her feet back into the stained glass waters by making one of her favorite things-- A Mermaid.  She's made this before and maybe that's why she's moving so quickly along on it because as far as I can see she's only got four pieces left to go on this.

 

  

 

 

Sheri and Let and Betty are doing something that's never been done before-- they are each working on their own versions of the same pattern!  Even more amazing is the fact that they are all in the same class!  It's a bit confusing confusing looking at the three windows and I accidentally took a picture of Sheri's window twice thinking that I was taking a picture of Betty's the second time.  And that's why I only have two windows to show you instead of three.  

 

 

 

Roxane ground the three wise men portion of her Nativity Scene Window in just one class.  That's some mighty fine work and it's almost as if she never took any time away from stained glass at all.  I can't wait to see all three sections joined together!  

 

 

 

Martha is working on her Ruby Slippers Window and after doing some extensive research we've decided that Dorthy's socks are blue and not white.   Martha is making this beveled border  window in the best way possible.  She's assembled the beveled border and is grinding the window to fit within it so that he'll have a perfect fit.

 

  

 

 

Melissa got the four pieces of glass cut for her Birdhouse roof and will surely finish that upon her return.   The only reason it wasn't completed this week is because she got a strip cutter lesson and cut out 24 rectangles out of clear glass all on her own.  Poor Melissa was having a Hell of a time getting the strip cutter to work correctly and then when I finally tried it I discovered that the problem was with the tool and not the operator!  We changed the cutter head and suddenly her score lines broke as expected.  You can see all of her perfectly uniform pieces rubber banded together in the insert in the bottom right of the birdhouse.

 

 

 

MiMi tacked together the middle cluster piece of her Traditional Window and then pieced together two pieces of clear hammered glass to make her background.  She then traced out the lines from the pattern onto the background glass along with the cluster traced out in the center.  She ground her curved gray and pink end pieces and then followed suit by tracing them onto the background glass as well.  After all of the cuts were made MiMi then hit the grinder.  With three quarters of her window  ground  it's safe to say that MiMi accomplished a LOT of work in one night!

 

  

 

 

With the second side of her second Peacock Window nearly completely soldered Mary Grace is getting ready to wrap this project up and hang it in her window next to its sister piece.  All that's left is some touch-up work on the soldering after which she'll get a channel attached to this tall window.

 

 

 

Linda F was able to move on over to her Birds On A Wire Window after she completed her Magnolia Window.   As you can see her work is absolutely flawless on this because her beautifully flowing curves connect perfectly to their adjoining pieces.   That's honestly something that takes time to learn.   Linda's cutting, grinding and even her soldering have really reached to the top of the tier.

  

 

 

Cindy's Cajun Bowl Logo window is REALLY taking shape and it is looking spectacular.  The Fractures and Streamers glass that she's using for the background may be pricey but the look of it behind the black and gray glass is stunning even when lying on the table.

 

  

 

 

Judy began an LSU Window but wasn't feeling very well so she was only able to get the shadow portions of her letters cut out.  That said, her cutting is wonderful and I doubt this will take her long to complete.  We just hope she feels better soon!

 

 

 

Annette has been working on this Santa Window while at home and her work on it is amazing.  I remember when she started and she would get frustrated  because her cuts wouldn't break.  Now she's making intricate Santa Faces all on her own without even blinking an eye!

 

 

 

 

June's Sewing Machine Window is now completely soldered and just needs to be washed, colored and waxed.  She'll not only have this finished upon her return but will also have another project started as well.

 

  

 

And Angie has her third Cross/Heart Window all soldered and ready for hooks and a cleaning.  This will no doubt be featured as a completed project when Angie returns next week.

Lastly, Annette also worked on a calm and peaceful nature scene but somehow I managed to forget to get a picture of it yet again.  You just wait and see if her window doesn't just suddenly appear as a finished piece by the time I get a picture of it!

Paul

Bayou Salé GlassWorks

Loud and Proud

Cindy's Sewing Machine Window has been completed and it is nothing short of precious.    She's altered the pin cushion on her version of this window and brought back to my mind a memory of the  strawberry needle sharpener that my grandmother used to have. 

 

 

 

Barbara H finished her Hibiscus Window in plenty of time and went the full distance by taking the time to add wire stamen onto the two flowers in her window.   They're a little hard to see in the picture  but they really add so much to the finished window.   The more you put into a window the more you'll get out of it.

 

  

 

 

As I suspected, Linda L put the finishing soldering touches on her Christmas Bells and walked away with a beautiful window.   The bells were cut from iridized white glass.  If you look closely and you can see the pink, green, blue and yellow accents hiding within the glass.  She also made the bell clangers out of lead covered glass and learned the trick to making this effect look its best-- use a minimal amount of solder  on it.

 

 

 

Lisa's got a knack for making projects that are completely unique and usually three dimensional.   Her stylized flower  is literally bursting open at the center to reveal three yellow glass globs as well as some wire stamens and a healthy dose of glass paint to top it all off!   I never know what I'll see next from Lisa and I'm always thrilled to see the finished product. 

 

 

 

Angie's pair of Cross Hearts are both the same yet completely different.  In terms of glass, only the borders are the same between the two windows.  Ask to to pick out which one is my favorite and I'll truthfully say that the both look spectacular.

 

 

 

Martha's got a her Grinch Window completed and the other students in the class are as green with envy as the Grinch himself is over it!  It astounds me that she can make this window easily but the Grinch Hand with an Ornament gives her pause for concern about making it.

 

 

 

Here's a look at Betty's next Christmas Candle that we glimpsed at last week.  I knew this one wouldn't keep her busy for very much longer.

 

 

 

Judy's Grinch Hand was made in a single class  and she's now ready to begin her next project.   Let's all give her a hand!  You know, if Judy keeps up this pace she'll be teaching the class and I'll be out of a job! 

 

 

Cindy also started working on this Business Logo Window which is going to be tough to see until it is hanging up because the logo is black and white.  Currently she has the cutlery cut out and placed into position on her pattern.

 

 

 

MiMi got all of the colored sections of her Traditional Window cut and then ground, wrapped and tacked together the center accent decoration.  When she comes back in she'll get her clear background glass cut into strips which she'll then cut into their respective shapes.

 

  

 

 

Susan D began work on a Sunflower window that features 5 different Sunflowers in one (smallish) window.   She has all of the glass cut and will be grinding away on this before you know it.

 

 

 

Linda F's Magnolia Window is also almost completed.   With the front side soldered and her brass channel already attached, the back of this window could very well be soldered and completed when we next see Linda again.    Once this is finished Linda will be able to resume work on her Birds On A Wire Window.

 

  

 

 

Kerry spent his night grinding away at the grinder and by the time he left he'd finished getting everything fitted together perfectly.   Next up is wrapping and after that the coast will be clear for him to tack and then add border(s) to this beautiful gift.

 

 

Roxane is flying now as the third panel for her Nativity Scene has all of its glass cut.   I've got to hand it to her-- it fits together wonderfully considering the fact that not a single piece has been touched by a grinder yet.  That will surely change next week though.

 

  

 

 

Betty isn't one to rest on her laurels, after finishing her Christmas Candle she found herself knee deep into her oval Humming Bird and Iris Window.  She's already got the vast majority of the glass cut for this window and just for good measure her Mary and Joseph Panel only needs to be flipped over and soldered.

  

 

 

Next we see that Sheri has begun cutting glass for her version of the oval Humming Bird and Iris Window on which she'll be using a slightly different color scheme.  Hers is also two inches shorter in width from the one Betty is working on but you'd never notice that difference unless you put the two windows side by side.  Sheri is also making  2 Cardinal Suncatchers complete with wire work which are taking form very quickly.

 

  

 

 

 

Susan R has all of her glass ground for her three dimensional Pansy and is well into the wrapping phase of this project.   I suspect that this will also go together fairly quickly and if luck is with us and the moon is full perhaps she'll even finish it next week.

 

 

 

 

Susan D  also  has a trio of Miniature Woodland Creatures all cut, ground and just needing a few more pieces foiled before she can quickly solder these little beasts together.  Next week I'll place a quarter besides them so their size is more  readily apparent.

 

  

 

 

Cheryl's Cardinals Window got most all of its missing piece filled in which means that after a few more fills (just the eyeballs) she'll be ready to work on the complex three layer border that surrounds this. 

  

 

 

Lara's Peonies are officially ready for solder! She picked a wispy white glass for her final border and the look is perfection.   Here comes the fun part: Soldering (well at least it's fun to me.)

 

  

 

 

Jan's Our Lady of Guadalupe window is reaching its grinding end.  She still has the final amber background to grind into place but that's child's play compared to the grinding that she did on the focal point of this glorious window.

 

  

 

Let has all of the glass cut for her latest Geometric Window.  These things are starting to fill the Blog here because they are THAT popular. 

 

  

 

 

Ann worked on cutting out two more of her stylized crosses but all I can show you is a modern art version of a cross that I literally threw together using some of the scraps that Ann left behind after calling it a night.   Trust me when I tell you that you will recognize the Cross design when you see it in our next post.

 

  

 

 And there you have it-- all the stained glass you need to see until next week!

Paul

Bayou Salé GlassWorks